Printer

ABSTRACT

A printer includes a printer body, a tray, and an actuating device. The printer body is capable of outputting file paper from a paper output opening. The tray is attached to the printer body configured for holding file paper. The actuating device is attached to the tray capable of moving the file paper in the tray to a predetermined position.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a printer with a paper tray.

2. Description of Related Art

A printer is usually equipped with a paper tray for receiving paper after being printed on by the printer. Although the paper is collected in the paper tray in the order printed, it is not separated according to print jobs so one must sort through the papers in the tray to manually separate one print job from another, which can be very inconvenient.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with references to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric, partial view of a printer in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an exploded, isometric view of an actuating device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, but shown in a different view.

FIG. 4 is an assembled view of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 1, but showing a driving member of the actuating device in a different position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a printer in accordance with an embodiment includes a printer body 10, a tray 20 for holding paper transferred from the printer body 10, and an actuating device 100 capable of moving the paper on the tray 20.

The printer body 10 is capable of printing files transmitted to the printer. The printer body 10 includes a rear panel 11. The rear panel 11 defines a paper output opening 112. A plurality of rear panel holes (not shown) is defined in the rear panel 11.

The tray 20 defines a paper holding space. A plurality of separating portions 21 is located on the tray 20, and configured to reshape the holding space to create subspaces. A tray opening 23 is defined in the tray 20 to transversely pass through the separating portions 21.

The actuating device 100 is configured to be secured on the tray 20, and includes a bracket 30, a motor 40 secured on the bracket 30, a driving member 60, and a connecting member 70, and a stop member 80.

The bracket 30 includes a main plate 31, and a side plate 33 perpendicular to the main plate 31. A bracket opening 35 is defined in the main plate 31 and the side plate 33. The main plate 31 defines two main plate holes 311, corresponding to the tray holes 25 at opposite sides of the bracket opening 35, and the side plate 33 defines a plurality of side plate holes 331 (shown in FIG. 3) at opposite sides of the bracket opening 35. A bent flange 37 extends from an edge of the side plate 33, and an extending flange 39 located on an edge of the bent flange 37. A plurality of extending flange holes 391 is defined in the extending flange 39.

The motor 40 is electrically connected to electronic elements inside the printer body 10 and controlled by the printer body 10. A shaft 50 is installed on the motor 40 and capable of being rotated by the motor 40. The shaft 50 has a threaded portion 51.

The driving member 60 includes a main wall 63, a sidewall 65 located on an bottom edge of the main wall 63, and a side flange 61 located on a top edge of the main wall 63. The side flange 61 defines a side flange hole 611 configured for receiving the shaft 50.

The connecting member 70 can be fixed on the side flange 61 of the driving member 60, and defines a threaded hole 71 for engaging with the threaded portion 51 of the shaft 50.

The stop member 80 is configured to be secured on the bracket 30, and includes a main board 81, two parallel first side boards 85 perpendicular to the main board 81, and a second side board 83 perpendicular to the main board 81 and the first side boards 85. A first side board flange 89 is perpendicularly located on an edge of each first side board 85. Each first side board flange 89 defines two fixing holes 891, corresponding to the side plate holes 331 of the bracket 30. A second side board flange 87 is located on an edge of the second side board 83, and defines a through hole 871 configured for receiving the shaft 50.

Referring also to FIG. 4, in assembly, the driving member 60 is fixed to the connecting member 70, and the side flange hole 611 aligns with the threaded hole 71. The threaded portion 51 of the shaft 50 is inserted in the side flange hole 611 and engaged in the threaded hole 71, so that the driving member 60 and the connecting member 70 can be moved along the shaft 50 when the shaft 50 is rotated. The sidewall 65 is positioned in the bracket opening 35 perpendicular to the main plate 31. The stop member 80 is located on the side plate 33. The fixing holes 891 align with the side plate holes 331 respectively, and the through hole 871 receives an end of the shaft 50. A plurality of first fasteners, such as screws or nuts, is fixed in the fixing holes 891 and the side plate holes 331, to fix the stop member 80 to the bracket 30. The second side board flange 87 is capable of blocking the connecting member 70 from disengaging from the shaft 50. Therefore, the actuating device 100 is assembled together.

The actuating device 100 is positioned on a bottom surface of the tray 20. The tray holes 25 align with main plate holes 311. The sidewall 65 is corresponding to the tray opening 23 and perpendicular to the main plate 31. Two second fasteners, such as screws or nuts, are fixed in the tray holes 25 and the main plate holes 311, so as to fix the actuating device 100 on the tray 20.

Referring also to FIGS. 1 and 5, the tray 20 and the actuating device 100 are placed at outside of the printer body 10. The extending flange 39 is inserted in the paper output opening 112, and abuts an inner surface of the rear panel 11. The extending flange holes 391 align with rear panel holes, and a plurality of third fasteners, such as screws or nuts, is fixed in the extending flange holes 391 and the rear panel holes, to secure the tray 20 on the rear panel 11 of the printer body 10.

In use, the driving member 60 has an original position (shown in FIG. 1), where the sidewall 65 is located under the tray 20 between the extending flange 39 of the bracket 30 and the separating portions 21 of the tray 20. If a file (a print job consisting of one or more pages) is printed by the printer body 10, the printed file paper is output from the paper output opening 112 to the tray 20, the motor 40 is started to rotate the shaft 50. The connecting member 70 and the driving member 60 are therefore moved along the shaft 50 in a direction away from the printer body 10. When the sidewall 65 is slid in the tray opening 35 and extends in the holding space, the sidewall 65 slides the file paper in the tray 20. When the sidewall 65 is slid to a predetermined position (shown in FIG. 5), where the printed file is placed in a predetermined subspace, the motor 40 then reverses rotation of the shaft 50. The driving member 60 and the connecting member 70 are therefore moved in a direction towards the printer body 10 until the driving member 60 is moved to the original position again. The motor 40 is stopped.

If another file is printed by the printer body 10, the process is performed again as described above, but in a way to place currently printed file in a different subspace of the tray 20. Therefore, different files or print jobs are stored in a way to easily distinguish from among two or more files because of how they are distinctly separated in the tray 20, which is very convenient.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoing description of embodiments, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. A printer comprising: a printer body capable of outputting file paper from a paper output opening; a tray attached to outside of the printer body configured for holding file paper; and an actuating device attached to the tray capable of moving the file paper in the tray to a predetermined position.
 2. The printer of claim 1, wherein a plurality of separating portions is located on the tray to create subspaces.
 3. The printer of claim 1, wherein the tray defines a tray opening; the actuating device comprises a driving member; the actuating device is capable of sliding the driving member in the tray opening to move the file paper.
 4. The printer of claim 3, wherein the actuating device further comprises a motor; the motor is capable of rotating a shaft; the driving member engages with the shaft and is slidable on the shaft when the shaft is rotated.
 5. The printer of claim 4, wherein the shaft has a threaded portion; a connecting member is fixed on the driving member and defines a threaded hole, for receiving the threaded portion so as to move the driving member on the shaft when the shaft is rotated.
 6. The printer of claim 5, wherein the actuating device further comprises a bracket fixed on the tray; the motor is fixed on the bracket.
 7. The printer of claim 6, wherein the bracket defines a bracket opening; the driving member is slidable in the bracket opening.
 8. The printer of claim 6, wherein the actuating device further comprises a stop member attached to the bracket; the stop member engages with an end of the shaft so as to prevent the driving member from disengaging from the shaft.
 9. The printer of claim 6, wherein the driving member is moved between an original position, where the driving member is located between the printer body and the tray, and another position, where the driving member moves the file paper in the predetermined position.
 10. The printer of claim 4, wherein the motor rotating the shaft is controlled by the printer body.
 11. A printer comprising: a printer body capable of outputting a file paper from a paper output opening; a tray attached to the printer body configured for holding the different file paper; and an actuating device attached to the tray, the actuating device comprising a driving member, the driving member capable of sliding between a first position where the driving member cannot block outputting of the file paper from the printer body, and a second position where the driving member is capable of moving the file paper in the tray to a predetermined position.
 12. The printer of claim 11, wherein a plurality of separating portions is located on the tray to create subspaces; each subspace is configured for receiving the file paper.
 13. The printer of claim 11, wherein the tray defines a tray opening; the actuating device is capable of sliding the driving member in the tray opening to move the file paper.
 14. The printer of claim 13, wherein the actuating device further comprises a motor; the motor is capable of rotating a shaft; the driving member engages with the shaft and is slidable on the shaft when the shaft is rotated.
 15. The printer of claim 14, wherein the shaft has a threaded portion; a connecting member is fixed on the driving member and defines a threaded hole, for receiving the threaded portion so as to move the driving member on the shaft when the shaft is rotated.
 16. The printer of claim 15, wherein the actuating device further comprises a bracket fixed on the tray; the motor is fixed on the bracket.
 17. The printer of claim 16, wherein the bracket defines a bracket opening; the driving member is slidable in the bracket opening.
 18. The printer of claim 16, wherein the actuating device further comprises a stop member attached to the bracket; the stop member engages with an end of the shaft so as to prevent the driving member from disengaging from the shaft.
 19. The printer of claim 16, wherein the driving member is located between the printer body and the tray when in the first position.
 20. The printer of claim 14, wherein the motor is electrically connected to the printer body; the motor rotating the shaft is controlled by the printer body. 